


Fulfilled Promise

by Anonymous



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slight Canon Divergence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-16 15:31:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18097103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: In the aftermath of the Mirror Link Vrains arc, Kusanagi is proud that Yusaku fulfilled their promise prior to it.





	Fulfilled Promise

   With a shallow, gasping breath, Yusaku tumbled out of the stall in the back of Kusanagi’s truck. Kusanagi, of course, was there to catch him as he clumsily found himself in the present reality once more. His arms, as they coiled protectively around Yusaku, were strong and grounding. In them, Yusaku felt that he could finally breathe again, even though he was being smothered by the layers that he wore.

   Together, they both found their knees aching and soon, their weights collapsed beneath them. Still, they embraced so tightly in the aftermath of everything. But, because it was the aftermath of everything, there was too much to say but it had to be said and it was Kusanagi who took upon the duty of beginning to break it all down as Yusaku was in no condition to.

   Or at least that what Kusanagi resolved to do. He was the adult in the situation and Yusaku was the one who had been hurt more by everything, but Yusaku pulled his face off of Kusanagi’s chest and looked up at him with the most pitiful, green eyes that Kusanagi had ever witnessed.

   “Where’s Takeru?” he asked.

   “Outside.” Kusanagi replied, his voice was scratchy and raw. “He was able to log out first, or come to first… He and Flame are having a breather. They’re both fine. A bit harrowed, but fine. We’re fine.”

   Yusaku clutched onto Kusanagi with a clasp which was tight and almost bratty. “Good, good…” he murmured.

   “It’s okay to not be fine, of course…” Kusanagi mumbled.

   “Are you fine?” Yusaku asked, his brows twitched as he all but begged for an answer.

   “No…” Kusanagi confessed, unable to betray such a grovelling look from the youth. “I’m not fine… But, I’m happy. I should be happy. We lived. We got Jin back…”

   Yusaku swallowed. “But it was at a heavy damage.”

   “I’m sorry. But I’m so proud of you, for fulfilling our promise.” Kusanagi’s eyes watered and his voice was somewhere near pathetic in his remorse.

   Yusaku watched as tears dribbled from Kusanagi’s eyes. The sight of those tears was enough to break Yusaku’s heart all over again because he understood their significance, especially in light of their vicious duel. Kusanagi was trying so hard to be strong, but he was breaking. They had done it. They had surmounted the summit they sometimes thought they would never even see the peak of. They were in the clear field now, a place they had never been before and had never dared to dream of. They had the rest of their lives ahead of them to be happy in the ways they had always wanted and had staked revenge and violence on to garner that happiness. Their goals were all but solved. Just a bit more, and they would be there. In the hospital, with Jin, with their special persons.

   But what then?

   It was daunting. And it was terrifying. No wonder they were like that, all but bawling and sobbing messes in one another’s arms. They were just trying to pick up the pieces of themselves they had lost. Sticking them back together again in ways which didn’t fit because they had changed.

   “What you did…” Yusaku mumbled. “Is forgivable. Understandable, even though I initially wanted to reject your foresight. But…” Yusaku’s own strength gave out and he buried his face against Kusanagi’s chest. His body shuddered and he began to bawl. “But it was scary; I hated it; I didn’t want to fight you. And when you disappeared from my arms… I – I shut down. It was terrifying…”

   His embrace was childlike but Kusanagi didn’t mind. He wrapped his own arms around Yusaku and cradled him back. Rocked him, even as he sobbed onto his chest and didn’t mind at all that he was getting wet and snotty.

   “I know, I know…” he mumbled.

   Snivelling, Yusaku pulled back and Kusanagi watched as Yusaku’s face morphed with expressions that he did had never seen before. Weakness, terror, fear, and a genuine openness with his emotions: vulnerability. It was breath-taking in how ugly it was.

   “I wish I told you this sooner.” Yusaku confessed with choked-out breaths. “I was always afraid that something would happen. That our relationship was just a transaction; a means to an end… I was worried that we were at arms’ length from one another, but I shouldn’t have listened to that fear. I was scared of trusting my own intuition because I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”

   Kusanagi’s heart pounded as his eyes widened. The tears on his cheeks were slick. Yusaku wasn’t the type to ramble or to speak with his heart on his sleeve, so this was rare; unfamiliar territory in their relationship but oddly flattering. Thus, disbelief permeated his disposition; he wanted to assure Yusaku that he had always seen him as a good and genuine friend, that their relationship had never been a means to an end and that there was something solid and reliable beneath it all. But he could see in how Yusaku’s mouth, there were still more words from a very deep and hidden abyss of his heart, so he didn’t speak. Not yet.

   “You – You’re my…” Yusaku felt as though his tongue were swollen as he tried to express himself; it was clumsy and difficult, but he was persevering despite his self-taught inability to be emotive. “You’re my most important person, Kusanagi-san.”

   Kusanagi swallowed.

   “My important friend. My shield.” Yusaku said. “Everything you’ve done for me, on-purpose or inadvertently, I appreciate it. And – and I l-love you for it.”

   Kusanagi smiled. He embraced Yusaku warmly and held his head. He pecked Yusaku’s forehead.

   “I love you too, Yusaku.” Kusanagi said and a bitter gratefulness dripped through his voice. “I’m so sorry, what you and Jin went through… what I’ve put you through. I apologise, I realise that was too much responsibility for you to shoulder, even though you are – and I do truly see you as such – a hero.”

   “You don’t need to apologise, Kusanagi-san, I know your reasons… I respect them, even though they hurt me.” Yusaku said.

   “I promise, I won’t ever hurt you again.” Kusanagi replied.

   “I believe you, but you don’t have to apologise or make these promises.” Yusaku said.

   “Thank you, Yusaku.” Kusanagi sincerely replied.

   Yusaku stole a peek at Kusanagi. His relief was sweet and palatable, all of it wrapped up in this brotherly sort of closed-eye smile. Yet, it was an expression Yusaku never wants to see again due to its painful origin. Knowing that permeated its essence and ruined it for him.

   Kusanagi felt Yusaku’s chin move against his chest. His heart pounded and slowly, he let go. Yusaku wriggled slightly, more or less in his lap, and Kusanagi opened his eyes to him. Yusaku looked as though he had had a good cry; the first in a long, long time because even though his eyes were rimmed red and cheeks sopping wet with a dripping nose, he looked strangely content.

   Yusaku smiled. It was a small smile, but it didn’t vanish, it wasn’t curt. “So,” he began, more brightly than perhaps he should have been, “how shall we go forward?”

   “It’ll be you, me, and Jin. Ai, too.” Kusanagi told him with mirth in both his eyes and his mouth.

   “Sounds good.” Yusaku replied.

   He licked his lips and Kusanagi noticed. Yusaku swallowed and he felt his heart race in his chest. Their eyes connected and Yusaku found his nerves abuzz inside his synapses once more. He stiffened in Kusanagi’s embrace, but he didn’t want to let go. He didn’t want to be let go. It was here in Kusanagi’s arms that he felt most safe and most loved. And so, he found his conviction and courage amid the nervousness razed by fear of consequences.

   Yusaku lifted himself up partially and Kusanagi relaxed. He understood, by intuition, what Yusaku was about to initiate and he didn’t spurn it. Part of him thought that he ought to, but there was a lot of emotions between them both thanks to everything which had happened. He could shrug it off later as victory or celebrations, but for now, he would indulge, and reciprocate, in what he would later mask or perhaps reject even though a good portion of him didn’t want to and wanted to accept Yusaku in good faith.

   Regardless, it was Yusaku who put his lips to Kusanagi’s first and solicited the first contact between them. Kusanagi kissed back chastely, into Yusaku’s clumsy and teenage technique. His first kiss. Still, it was sweet in its sincerity and earnestness; warm with Yusaku’s breath which was so riled up. But it was short. Succinct. No longer than it needed to be, or perhaps just stunted by Yusaku’s lead which was promising but ultimately inept from his lack of experience with intimacy and closeness of any strain; romantic, platonic or otherwise. So Yusaku retreated but Kusanagi’s hands remained on him, lingering with welcome familiarity. Kusanagi smiled brightly unto him with kindly shining eyes, something of a grin tugged at Yusaku’s lips in return which tingled with their kiss.

   Yusaku felt as though his world seemed a lot stranger now. Bigger now that he was free to explore it with nothing from his past leftover to gnaw at him. It seemed emptier too now that he had nothing from his past leftover to gnaw at him. But, as Yusaku gazed into Kusanagi’s face and took upon his words, it didn’t seem like any of that would matter. They would stick to it, keep going forward and find their happiness which had been rightfully fought for. It was finally theirs. And they would claim it together, the ups and downs and everything in between.


End file.
